In an emergency meeting Friday, NATO condemned Russian military action in Ukraine and accused Moscow of violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. Now, Kiev has announced its intention to seek NATO membership. But it's still not clear what Western countries can do to stop Russia's invasion.

Ukrainians go to the polls this weekend in the first national election since the February revolution. The front-runner is chocolate tycoon-turned-politician, Petro Poroshenko, who seems to bridge some of the country's fault lines.

Pro-Russian separatists are claiming a landslide success in referenda on independence in two provinces of eastern Ukraine. Kiev has condemned the polls as a farce. Donetsk has already asked to join Russia. But Moscow appears to be keeping the separatists at arm's length. For the moment.

With his country battling pro-Russian separatists in the east, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk drops some loaded language into the international debate. But are they fighting words, or words designed to evoke sympathy for Ukraine?

Ukraine says three people died Wednesday night in the eastern city of Mariupol. The Ukrainians say a pro-Russian mob tried to storm a National Guard base. The violence capped a humiliating day for the Ukrainian military.

No one says they want war in Ukraine. But just look on the ground, in the country's east especially, where tensions keep rising. Ukrainian troops have been deployed in the east to recapture areas seized by pro-Russia separatists. But in one town, they were blocked by civilians -- and even appeared to lose some of their armored vehicles to the other side. And in the regional capital, Donetsk, pro-Russia gunmen took over the mayor's office.

Ukrainians are worried about what's in store for their nation in the coming days. Violent clashes with protesters have left at least 25 dead. And government threats leave many fearful of an even more forceful response.

With his country battling pro-Russian separatists in the east, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk drops some loaded language into the international debate. But are they fighting words, or words designed to evoke sympathy for Ukraine?

Ukrainians are worried about what's in store for their nation in the coming days. Violent clashes with protesters have left at least 25 dead. And government threats leave many fearful of an even more forceful response.

No one says they want war in Ukraine. But just look on the ground, in the country's east especially, where tensions keep rising. Ukrainian troops have been deployed in the east to recapture areas seized by pro-Russia separatists. But in one town, they were blocked by civilians -- and even appeared to lose some of their armored vehicles to the other side. And in the regional capital, Donetsk, pro-Russia gunmen took over the mayor's office.

Ukraine says three people died Wednesday night in the eastern city of Mariupol. The Ukrainians say a pro-Russian mob tried to storm a National Guard base. The violence capped a humiliating day for the Ukrainian military.

Pro-Russian separatists are claiming a landslide success in referenda on independence in two provinces of eastern Ukraine. Kiev has condemned the polls as a farce. Donetsk has already asked to join Russia. But Moscow appears to be keeping the separatists at arm's length. For the moment.

Ukrainians go to the polls this weekend in the first national election since the February revolution. The front-runner is chocolate tycoon-turned-politician, Petro Poroshenko, who seems to bridge some of the country's fault lines.

In an emergency meeting Friday, NATO condemned Russian military action in Ukraine and accused Moscow of violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. Now, Kiev has announced its intention to seek NATO membership. But it's still not clear what Western countries can do to stop Russia's invasion.

With his country battling pro-Russian separatists in the east, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk drops some loaded language into the international debate. But are they fighting words, or words designed to evoke sympathy for Ukraine?

Updated

11/20/2013 - 10:00pm

The man who shot JFK in Dallas — Lee Harvey Oswald — first defected to the former Soviet Union and worked in a factory in Minsk. He married there and was under the watchful eye of Soviet intelligence, before he decided to return to the US. His former co-workers remember him fondly and refuse to believe he shot President Kennedy.

Ukrainians are worried about what's in store for their nation in the coming days. Violent clashes with protesters have left at least 25 dead. And government threats leave many fearful of an even more forceful response.